The Search for the Ultra Star!
by ClammyJim
Summary: A peaceful night in Mushroom Kingdom is shattered with the appearance of the Ultra Star. Eight people have seen the star, and now the compettion is on! Who will become the owner of this powerful new star? R
1. A Power from the Heavens

One night in Mushroom Kingdom a star storm was occurring overhead. Only a few noticed this event, especially since it wasn't an abnormality in Mushroom Kingdom, but for those who did, their lives were about to change dramatically, for in that star storm was the mega-powerful…..ULTRA STAR.

The star had been falling through space for thousands of years after being formed somewhere in the Center of the Universe, and now it has reached the atmosphere of Mushroom Kingdom and has joined other stars in a spectacular sight that was witnessed by only eight pairs of eyes.

That fateful night, at Peach's castle; Mario, Luigi, and Peach are just about to call it a night after a rousing game of Pictionary with Toad.

"Don't worry Princess Toadstool, I'll refill your water for you," said the faithful servant as he shuffled from the room.

"Thank you Toad," said the Princess, currently in her pink tank top and shorts. "Well, nice try boys, but you lost again."

Mario looked to his brother as if to blame him for the pairs' terrible defeat.

"Oh no you don't!" said Luigi. "If anyone lost it for us, it was you!" He said, picking up a pad that had been doodled on. "How can you say that this is a Koopa? You should know what a Koopa looks like; this looks like a blooper smoking a cigar!"

"Oh really?" asked Mario in a sarcastic tone, not being able to come up with anything better to say. Luigi crumpled up the paper in his hand and his Mario right between the eyes.

"Look outside!" Peach exclaimed, trying to interrupt the upcoming fight. Her plan worked and the three of them all went onto the balcony that was outside. They were on the second story of the castle, and they had been playing Pictionary in the drawing room (this was suggested by Luigi, who thought it was a very witty idea.)

Outside, a dazzling display of stars was shooting across the sky. They were going in all different directions and Peach hoped that the star pieces would not turn out to be dangerous to anyone as they had in the past.

"Don't worry," said Mario consoling her in a soft tone. "Everyone has the latest in star defense protection on their houses. And by now, everyone is probably asleep."

So the trio decided to watch for a little bit longer.

And suddenly, a bright green flash.

Wario was riding his motorcycle somewhere on the highway between Mushroom Kingdom and Bean Kingdom. He was thinking about what he had done today. He hoped all would go well with the plan he and his brother had made.

As he turned onto the road that would eventually lead him to his home that was hidden in the woods near the border, Wario checked his extra weight.

She didn't move when he stared into her eyes with a menacing smirk. She had gone past that phase; the red marks on her cheek had helped her get over resistance. The tape over her mouth stopped her from calling out for help, and Wario checked the knots on the ropes holding her to the motorcycle, her auburn hair was dangling dangerously close to the ground.

"Close your eyes," he told her. She obeyed without question. He didn't want her to somehow remember the way back.

He looked back at the road and saw a beautiful meteor shower, but he didn't appreciate the splendor of the occasion.

And suddenly, a bright green flash.

Yoshi couldn't let this happen; he had to make sure that everything was alright. Mario and Luigi had set him to this important task and he couldn't let them down. He feared he already had.

He ran as fast as his strong dinosaur legs would take him, hoping that this would be a false alarm. Maybe this was a complete misunderstanding; maybe the Toads were just practicing some kind of drill for real emergencies.

He had been running for about five minutes, he had been searching for fruit in the dense jungle when he heard the sounds of alarm. He was clawing his way through vines and shrubs. He could feel the branches scratch his nose and his tail, but he couldn't stop now.

He broke out of the tree line and appeared in the clearing with three tents and the remains of a fire that had been recently extinguished.

Yoshi heard his own panting and nothing else, the silence was like a terrible fisth squeezing him. He couldn't stand that nothing was happening, he had been expecting the worst, and now it was as if everyone had just gone to sleep.

Then he saw a Toad.

He ran over to the small body and noticed the spear wound in his chest. The poor man was dead. Yoshi didn't like death, but unfortunately it seemed more commonplace here in Mushroom Kingdom.

Yoshi solemnly closed the lifeless Toad's eyes and heard a sound behind him.

He quickly turned around and rolled to his left, avoiding the Shy Guy's bloodied spear. The spearman hadn't expected Yoshi's quick maneuvers and lost his balance. His left foot lifted behind him as he hopped forward on his right foot, trying to stay up and in the fight.

Yoshi seized the opportunity. He leaped into the air and kicked Shy Guy's right hand, forcing him to drop the spear on the ground. The force of the impact caused the Shy Guy to spin, so Yoshi swiped at his enemy's right foot with his tail, causing the Shy Guy to fall on his back.

Yoshi leaped on the enemy and grabbed him by the neck.

"Bowser?" Yoshi uttered one of the few words he knew.

The Shy Guy stared out from under his mask, Yoshi knew he was smiling. That cocky little ass. Yoshi stomped onto his kneecap, there was a cry of pain and Yoshi repeated his query.

Then, the Shy Guy's body tensed up and a few moments later became extremely limp as he exhaled for the final time. Yoshi dropped the body in sock and saw, falling out of his foe's hand, a dagger. The Shy Guy had used it to commit suicide so that Yoshi would not succeed in his mission to get information.

Yoshi searched the camp for anyone else, he found the outher four Toads. Two were dead. One was alive and not badly hurt, and the other was suffering from a broken arm.

There was no sign of the one he was supposed to protect. Daisy wasn't here.

Yoshi looked longingly toward Mushroom Kingdom. He had let his best friend down, and now he had no idea what to do next. Neither of the Toads knew anything about the assault, except there were a bunch of Shy Guys and all they wanted was Daisy.

From this island Yoshi could just barely see the top of Peach's Castle.

And suddenly, a bright green flash.

Meanwhile, Birdo found herself to be the closest sentient being to the falling stars. She was picking daisies in the field when a star fell in front of her, its eyes giving her a blank stare, warning her of danger.

She dropped her handful of flowers and dashed to a nearby cave. She only hoped that it would be over soon so that she could go back to enjoying herself, she didn't want her evening to be ruined.

"Damn you stars," she muttered, "you ruined everything." As if in response, a star fell in front of her at the entrance to the cave. She shrieked and crawled farther into her shelter.

"Go away already!" she said, frustrated. She was almost on the verge of tears, she hated when things ruined her fun, she wished she could go out there and shoot every single star in the sky with her eggs.

She decided that would be her act of defiance to Mother Nature. She stood up, brushed herself off and marched towards the cave's exit.

And suddenly, a bright green flash.

"And by the end of the week, we should be ready to attack those Mushroom Kingdom imbeciles."

Bowser and Kamek were plotting their greatest plan yet. This plan had no flaws, there was no possible way Mario would be able to defeat them this time.

"Great," Bowser approved of Kamek's plan, "I shall personally take over retrieving the special weapon. As our specialist on the subject, I'd like you to join me, Kamek." She nodded in agreement. "Bowser Jr.," the Koopa King's oldest son looked up, hoping for a chance to gain approval, "I want you to be in charge of protecting this castle and prepping your brothers and sister for the battle, for this is almost war!" Bowser emphasized this with a loud roar that shook the room and made somebody walking outside trip.

"Yessir!" Bowser Jr. scurried out of the room, heading to a destination unknown to even himself.

"I see that this plan will go over well. You've really outdone yourself, Kamek," said Bowser.

"There's only one thing left," she said expectedly," the Ultra Star should be here any minute—ah, there's the star storm."

Bowser stomped over to the window and the both looked out, waiting for the big moment, this Ultra Star would change their lives, and they would finally be able to take over Mushroom Kingdom and rule the world!

And suddenly, a bright green flash.


	2. Follow the Light

"We have to get that star," said Peach with conviction. She knew that the star could be helpful, or it could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. How she knew all of this was a mystery.

Deep down, a part of the princess was coming forward. Peach tried to repress these feelings of greed and the urges to grasp the star in her dainty fingers. She felt that she needed to have the star for herself. This was odd, since she was normally a selfless person, only thinking for the good of Mushroom Kingdom. This time it was different, she wanted the star in her own possession, so that she could be better and stronger and most importantly, more powerful. These feelings frightened her, so she tried to keep her normal poise.

For the split second Peach let her guard down, Mario noticed it. He noticed the inner turmoil within Peach, for he was feeling the same thing. Surprisingly, instead of trying to relate to Peach with his similar problems and thoughts, he suddenly felt as if she was his competition. If she had the star, he wouldn't. This made Mario particularly angry, he suddenly wanted to throw Peach off the balcony and head for the star by himself.

He snapped out of these dark thoughts, and scolded himself in his head. He would be scolding himself often these next few weeks.

Luigi, the quick thinker he was, had already planned out how he would gain possession of the star for himself. (He was also experiencing the greedy ideas the other two had.) He would let Peach make the plans to retrieve the star. That would take a week at least, since she was such a perfectionist. While Mario was awaiting his instructions, Luigi would find his way out of the castle and to the star. Hopefully he would reach it before the expedition led by Mario even began and Luigi would be powerful, no longer hidden in his brother's shadow.

But he didn't know everyone on that balcony was looking to acquire the star for him or herself.

"Right now," finished Peach. She quickly walked into the drawing room and told the Toad that had just brought her water glass to prepare the airship immediately. Toad was taken aback, Peach normally took weeks to prepare these kinds of things, she wasn't one for spontaneity, but he followed her orders anyway. Peach walked away, toward her room so she could get things started for the journey.

"I don't know about her," Mario had been watching Peach with intense suspicion. "I think she might end up being a problem for me."

"What do you mean?" asked a shocked Luigi, who was already trying to formulate a new plan.

"It's nothing," Mario stammered. There was a silence.

"Mario," Luigi started, still staring at the spot where he last saw the shiny green light before it disappeared, "can I get this one?"

"What?" Mario scrunched his brow and looked at his brother in disbelief. Luigi finally let his eyes move from the spot where the star had fallen.

"Well, you always get to go on the adventure and save Mushroom Kingdom and be the hero."

"Not this again," said an exasperated Mario, rolling his eyes at the statement he had heard seventy-three times before.

"Yes this again!" the frustrated tone in Luigi's voice surprised Mario, who was left speechless. "I want to be the hero, bro. I want to have the parade. I want people to ask for my autograph. I want to be recognized as myself for once! Not, 'Oh look dad, it's Mario…in Green?'!"

Mario was losing ground, but he couldn't be absent on this mission. Peach was forgotten and a new competitor in Luigi was found.

"We could go together," suggested Mario.

"Yeah, let's go together," said Luigi with piercing sarcasm. "I can see it now, '**Mario Saves Kingdom, Peach Proud**. Oh and Luigi was there too.'"

Luigi was gaining the upper hand, he couldn't lose now. Mario had to let him go. Mario was ultimately good at heart; he couldn't let his own flesh and blood go unhappy without good reason. Luigi believed Mario to be a reasonable person.

"No. We'll both go," Mario walked into the castle, leaving Luigi stunned.

A Toad came up to the flabbergasted Luigi. "Sir, the ship is ready, are you going to accompany the expedition?"

Birdo found herself outside the Forest of Illusion, this was where the star had fallen, she was sure of it.

She was the only being that had actually seen the Ultra Star fall into the forest. Others knew about its location, some were actually on their way already. Birdo had the advantage of a head start.

When the flash of light happened, Birdo was temporarily blinded, but she knew that somehow she was going to get that star, she had already planned on making a walking stick if her sight hadn't come back to her.

She had been around Mushroom kingdom long enough to know that was no ordinary star. This star could changer her whole life; she would no longer be the strange creature that shoots eggs out of her nose/mouth. Now she would be respected, and maybe even feared.

Even as a young girl she had always dreamed of being someone important, like becoming a princess of Mushroom Kingdom.

When Birdo was barley two, there was an announcement that the Queen was pregnant and the royal family would soon have an heir.

Birdo was ecstatic.

She prepared herself for the prince, he would be the man of her dreams, so she had to be the woman of his. She studied mushroom folk, learned their language, their mannerisms. All in the shadows, for she was afraid that she would scare them off. She knew that only the prince would understand her and wouldn't be afraid.

Sure, Birdo matured faster than the baby ever would; at two she had the thought processes of a thirteen year old mushroom person. In time though, he would catch up to her in brain power.

Announcements were made about the state of the Queen almost every day, and Birdo's dream was closer to realization.

She had stared at the grand castle on the hill from her cave just outside of Mushroom Town. Its beauty enchanted her and she envisioned herself as Queen, with her handsome and kind husband. They would create a time of peace and harmony. They would have royal celebrations and grand galas.

She saw herself wearing a beautiful pink dress with the royal family's crown on her head. She had little whit glove on, like all the pretty ladies did. The nobility here had always fascinated Birdo. She could see herself walking down a large staircase; arm in arm with her husband the King. Everyone at the party was staring at them, no, at her. All in the land would look up to her as a great woman for their country.

One final announcement was made, this was it. The Queen and King were going to show off their child today, for the baby had been born the week before. Birdo had prepared for this moment for the last nine months. She quickly ran to the town square, using the maze of alleys. The ceremonies were to be held here in the square. She darted down an alleyway near the square and climbed onto a roof. She hid behind a chimney, where no one would be able to see her.

For hours she waited, her hear racing the entire time. Finally, a horn sounded and all the people of Mushroom Town came into the square.

The King and queen slowly waked in, they stepped upon the star-shaped platform in the center of town square. The pushed a carriage that was surrounded by a curtain for dramatic effect.

That's when Birdo leaped from her hiding spot into the crowd. She drew gasps from everyone around her, she race to the platform and leaped into the air. She landed right in front of the carriage, but the King blocked her path. She shoved him to the ground and pulled the curtain around the carriage aside.

"Get away from our daughter!" screamed the Queen, slapping Birdo across the face.

But the words the Queen spoke were much more painful than her hand. She was so shocked and upset that she barely noticed her exile sentence from the King, or the fact that two very large Toads carried her outside the city limits.

She stumbled in a daze to her cave. She sat on her bed of grass and cried over the baby in the pink dress.

So Birdo took a deep breath and marched into the Forest of Illusion.

While Mario and Luigi were having their tiff, Bowser and Kamek were already on heir way to the Ultra Star. They were riding in Bowser's clown car, which was surprisingly roomy. Along with them, they had brought two Hammer Bros., one of which was driving.

On the way, Kamek refreshed Bowser's memory on the Ultra Star, a subject that she was the most informed in.

"Anyone who sees the star wants it," she said, putting it in the simplest terms possible. "So, if someone else happened to be watching that star shower, they are our competition."

At this, Bowser cracked his knuckles, ready for a fight.

"But don't worry if Mario shows up." Bowser roared at Kamek's statement, frightening the pilot, causing him to almost hit a tall tree. "I'm sorry master, what I meant to say was, as long as we get there first, he will be no problem. We may even defeat him for good this time. Wouldn't that be sensational?"

Bowser grunted in agreement, and then asked the pilot how far they would have to go until they reached where the star had fallen. According to Bowser Jr.'s triangulation patterns, that location was the Froest of Illusion.

Bowser watched Kamek closely, the two of them had been partners in crime for quite a while now, but this time seemed different. She wasn't going to turn against him anytime soon, but Bowser wouldn't put it past her if the opportunity came up.

Kamek had already decided that the star couldn't fall into the wrong hands. She could stand Bowser having it, since she could control him. Anyone else would just not do.

Kamek also had some feelings that she should possess the star herself. She was the one who was the most educated about it. That qualified her as the best for the position of owning this great star.

The two untrustworthy comrades could see the Forest of Illusion on the horizon.

Yoshi was on his way back over the Toadstool Strait that separated the aptly named Mystery Island from Mushroom Kingdom.

Daisy had gone to Mystery Island to continue her newfound hobby of archaeology. She had brought along five Toads and later, Yoshi joined the group of explorers.

Yoshi's presence was suggested by Luigi and Mario who, at the sound of Mystery Island, asked their loyal pal to do them a favor and protect the princess in the yellow dress.

Luigi's words still echoed in Yoshi's mind.

"Protect her, she means everything to me. I'm putting all of my faith in you. Don't fail me now, Yoshi."

Yoshi gave a sad sigh and walked to the deck. Being Daisy, she brought her yacht on the expedition. It was a smaller version of her popular cruise ship, but still amazingly beautiful and expensive.

Yoshi knew he should go tell Luigi about what happened, but he had a strange urge to go toward that light he had seen earlier. He felt that with that star he ha seen flash through the sky, he would be able to save Daisy and Luigi wouldn't be so disappointed. Yoshi would have to take matters into his own hands and solve this problem on his own.

He told the Toad who was steering the ship to change course. The Toad gave him a strange look, but since Yoshi was, at this pint, the leader of this expedition, he obliged with no resistance.

Yoshi had a lead on who the kidnaper was, because as they were leaving the Toads spotted some strange tracks near the beach. Yoshi confirmed that they were motorcycle tracks. Yoshi knew one person who had a motorcycle and was mean enough to pull something like this off.

Wario had found his way back home, he didn't really see it as a home, it was just a place to stay for a while. The bunk beds in the corner of the one room house revealed how many people lived here, and the layer of dust and flith on every surface showed the residents' lack of ability to clean, or just plain laziness. A counter spanned the wall to the left of the door; a stove was centered in this long counter with a broken window above it. Cooking on the stove was a small pot of spaghetti.

Waluigi asked again, "Did it all go smoothly?"

Wario laid his prisoner on the bottom bunk, she was still tied up, and so she couldn't move or speak.

"You can open your eyes now," he told her. As she slowly opened her eyes, they flitted around. She wasn't able to see anything but a strange stain on the bottom of the top bunk, and the grotesque features that were Wario's face.

"Everything went fine, man," Wario told his brother, as he slowly stirred the noodles in the pot. "But we have a bigger problem. I saw a star shower—"

"Wow, that never happens," Waluigi remarked snidely.

"Shut up!" Wario threw the wooden spoon at his brother, narrowly missing. "There was this flash and I just have a feeling that we have to follow that light. I have a hunch that it will bring us unprecedented power."

"Oh boy, if it isn't the Hunchback of Notre Dame," the joke fell flat so Waluigi tried to recover, "what happened to our plan of luring Luigi here since we can beat him up, as long as he isn't with Mario? Why did we kidnap her if you are just gonna go out on some wild goose chase?" He gestured toward Daisy, who still lay on his bed, listening to every word that was said.

"You can still carry out my plan, but I have to follow this."

"Fine, do whatever you want, Mr. Badass."

"Go to hell!" Wario grabbed his goggles and stormed out the door.

Waluigi slowly walked toward Daisy, leaned over her and stared into her eyes. He smirked, thinking of the amazing plan he and Wario had come up with. Daisy finally felt the fear rush into her body, she tried to scream, but the tape over her mouth muffled her outcry of fear.

Waluigi sat down at the small table in the center of the room and at some plains spaghetti noodles, straight from the pot. When he was finished, he said goodbye to Daisy and turned off the bare bulb in the house, the only light source, and left. The moonlight crept in the small window, making the stain still visible to Daisy.

The scent of the gas stove burning wafted around the room. Daisy shivered as the cold autumn wind blew in through the broken window and crawled along her skin.


End file.
